The present disclosure relates generally to a device and method for forming smokable materials. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to forming smokable materials into substantially compressed packets which are configured so as to be compatible with vaporizer devices.
Various types of vaporizers are known in the art. Vaporizers are used to create a vapor which is typically intended to be inhaled by a user. The vapor may be formed from heating a variety of substances, including liquids, powders, leaf, leaves, leaf-like materials, ground or partially ground plant matter, and other substances and combinations of materials and substances. A wide range of substances may be completely or partially converted to vapor, including tobacco or nicotine. A vaporizer typically uses a heating element, also known as an atomizer, to heat material. The material may be in a cartridge or other closed volume, which may be replaceable, or may be inserted into a chamber known as an oven. Many users of vaporizers prefer to load their vaporizer oven themselves, using their preferred smokable material.
Current devices and methods for loading a vaporizer oven are inconvenient and either risk spilling material or require carrying additional equipment to where one may wish to load the vaporizer. Users of vaporizers often manually load the vaporizer with smoking materials which are carried in a separate container, such as a pouch or rigid container. The oven of the vaporizer is exposed and material may be loaded manually, potentially spilling. A funnel may be used to load a vaporizer oven, though this constitutes an additional piece of equipment which must be carried by a user.
Many users of vaporizers prefer to have the smokable material in the oven compressed so as to provide a more enjoyable user experience, often including a higher content of desirable substances in each inhalation of vapor, including flavor and/or nicotine. Compressed smokable materials also tend to provide more inhalations of vapor per loaded oven than non-compressed materials. Compressing material within a vaporizer oven requires another additional tool, such as a tamp or other packing tool. Such tools often do not satisfactorily compress the smokable material, as they are pushed in by hand, or even by a single finger, and provide no mechanical advantage. Additionally, such packing tools press down smokable materials within the vaporizer oven, often creating a complete compressed layer along the entire bottom of the oven. This may prevent air flow and offers no sideways room for expansion of the smokable material as it heats up. Some vaporizers heat the material by means of electrical conduction, though others need to pass heated air by or through the material. Current means of compressing smokable material within a vaporizer oven also tend to leave residue on the sides and bottom of the oven, which may make the oven difficult to clean.